Black Night
by FantasyFan5813
Summary: About three things I was absolutely certain. First Bella was a vampire. Second, there was a part of her-and I didn't know how potent that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys. I'm a pretty new author. I have one other story that's on hold. It's for Tamora Pierce. So you know, I do not have a beta right now, I'll be doing my own editing for a little while. I'm posting this chapter to test out the idea of this story. Please Review! If you see something I can fix, please let me know. OK, well, here we go on my first Twilight FanFiction!**

Chapter One

I shivered as I stepped off of the plane into the pouring rain. I had just arrived in Forks, Washington, where I'm going to be living with my dad, Edward Senior. My mom had remarried, so I felt like an intruder in my own home. I glared up at the sky as I pulled my parka closer to myself. I had forgotten how much I absolutely _loathed_ Forks. I looked quickly around for my father. I sighed with relief as I spotted the bronze hair that was so like my own. I rushed over to my father, who embraced me swiftly. Then we ran together to get my bag and get into the car. By the time we finally got into the police cruiser, we were both soaked through.

My dad grinned at me happily, "Hey, son. Welcome home!"

I grumbled back, folding my arms. I hated it when my dad tried to sell Forks as home. Home is hot, dry, and with my mother. The car ride home was awkward. Dad kept trying to make light conversation, while I refused to respond. I just needed a little while to adjust, something that Dad clearly didn't get.

He finally gave up, and the last thirty minutes of the two hour drive passed in silence. When we finally reached the small house that belonged to my father, I jumped out, grabbed my bag from the trunk, and went straight up to the room that has always been mine. The only change that I could remember was when my dad had placed a desk in the room. I'm sure there was a crib once, when my parents were still married, but I didn't remember it. Everything else had remained the same for seventeen years. I took my laptop out of its case and placed it on the desk, then slowly unpacked the rest of my meager belongings in the bureau. Most of my clothes had been lightweight, terrible for the always rainy Forks. Once I finished that task, I collapsed on the small twin bed and stared at the ceiling. I stayed there for a long time, I didn't really know how long, until my dad called me down for dinner. I picked myself up slowly and made my way down to the small kitchen with the bright yellow cabinets my mom had painted so may years ago. She had wanted to bring some seldom seen sunshine into the dull kitchen. I took a good look around before sitting down. Every where there were reminders of Elizabeth. The couch she had picked was still in the living room, the cabinets were still yellow, and every single picture my mother had put up for decorating still graced the walls. It made me uncomfortable to know that my dad still missed my mom so much. She had moved on a long time ago. Dad cleared his throat, and I snapped out of my reverie. "What's for dinner, then?" I asked quickly, trying not to seem to antsy.

"Just scrambled eggs. I haven't gone to the store in a while, so it's all we've got for now. I'll go tomorrow."

"You want me to go?" I grasped at the idea. I always shopped for the groceries in Phoenix.

"If you want to, sure. That'd be great. I don't really have a list, but the cash in the the door by the fridge."

I nodded. "I got it. Can you cook at all?"

My dad shook his head a little, "Not really. Can you?"

I grinned, "Yes sir! I'm a good cook."

"Are you now?" My father's tone was laced with surprise, "I never knew that."

"Yep." I smiled proudly. I had always cooked meals at home. My mom wasn't the best cook either.

"Huh."

The conversation died there. The rest of the meal was spent in companionable silence. After dinner, I went up to my room and grabbed my things for the bathroom. I showered quickly, toweled my hair, and packed my things back up. My dad and I would be sharing a bathroom, so I didn't want to leave my stuff all over the place. After I got ready, I laid down, hoping to get a good night's sleep. It took me hours and hours to fall asleep. First, I was missing home so badly, it was like a physical pain in my gut. Then, when I had settled down a little, the rain pounding on my window kept me up all night. I didn't fall asleep until around one in the morning, and when I finally drifted, I slept terribly. The rain invaded my dreams so I couldn't even get peace there.

When my alarm woke me up early in the morning, it took me a few minutes to remember that I was in Forks, and it was my first day of school at Forks High. I groaned as I rolled out of bed and got ready for my day. I put on two layers of clothes underneath my black rain parka. I hated the cold. I stumbled down to the kitchen, still half-asleep. Dad was down there already, waiting for me.

"Morning," he said happily, "Ready for school?"

I shook my head, "Is anyone ever ready for school?" Then I remembered my dad had to drive me to and from, since I didn't have a car. I held back a groan. I hated riding in the cruiser, and going to my first day of school in it wasn't going to help anything.

Dad laughed, "No, guess not. Anyway, we better get going, huh?"

"Yeah."

Dad laughed and we headed out the door. I stopped and squinted through the rain. There was a red truck parked next to the cruiser. It had round fenders and a big cab. It looked pretty old, but stable, "Hey, Dad," I yelled, glancing again at the truck, "What's the truck in the driveway?"

"It's yours! I figured you didn't want to ride to school in the cruiser, let's face it, who would? So I got Harry Clearwater to sell me his truck. What do you think?"

"I-I. . ." I paused, "You got me a car?"

"Well, a truck. But yeah. Basically." I could tell he was trying not to laugh.

"Wow, thank you! Thank you so much!"

"No problem. Harry and Leah are going to come down after school and tell you the ins and outs. They rebuilt it together."

I gaped. "Leah _Clearwater_!?"

"The very same."

I tried to picture _Leah Clearwater_ working on a car. I couldn't do it. The Leah I knew from my trips here as a kid would never build cars. She was an insufferable girly girl. "Huh. OK. Well, I guess I'll see you after school. Thank you."

"Edward. Keys."

I spun around to grab the keys and fell flat of my back. I sprang up and snatched the keys. "Thanks, dad."

He laughed, "Sure. You alright there?"

I nodded, "Happens all the time."

I turned and walked slowly to the car. It was true that I fell a lot. I wasn't exactly the most graceful person in the world. I made a face as I slipped again on my way to the truck. Stupid rain.

I drove slowly to the high school. I had never been there before, but it wasn't hard to find. I pulled into the lot and circled around until I found the office. I sighed as I turned off the truck and the heat that came with it. I could _feel_ the air getting cold again. Grumbling to myself, I ran inside. When I reached the office, it felt like I had never gone inside. Except for the fact that I was dry, I would have never noticed. There were plants everywhere in the office. I shook my head the littlest bit. Weren't there enough plants outside already?

"Hello. Can I help you?"

I glanced up to see a lady smiling at me from the desk. She looked like she was in her mid-fifties. "Uh, yes please. I'm, um, Edward Masen. I was wondering if you had my schedule?"

"Sure, honey. Let me see. . . yes, here we go."

She pulled out a sheet of paper and beckoned me forward. As i stepped toward her, she reached behind her and grabbed a second piece of paper. When I reached the desk, I saw that she had grabbed a map. she proceeded t show me where all of my classes were and the best way to get there. I thanked her and left the office.

I drove my truck around the now-full parking lot. I found the building I was looking for, and parked close as I could get to it. I ran towards the building, but was slowed to a walk as two people in raincoats just like mine stepped in front of me in the doorway. They took off their jackets and hung them on racks on the wall by the door. I did the same, then quickly went up to the teacher and got my form signed to prove I went to all my classes. Once it had been signed, I went and sat in a seat at the back. I sat there to avoid the stares of my new classmates. It didn't work. They all managed to turn in their seats to stare at me. I dropped my gaze quickly to the sheet of paper in front of me. It was out reading list for the year and I sighed as I scanned it. I'd read it all before. It would make the year easier, but it would be pretty boring.

As soon as the bell rang, a guy came up to me. "Hey, you're the new kid right?"

I glanced up, "Yeah." I said.

"Cool. My name's Mike." He stuck out his hand.

"Edward." I shook his hand.

Mike smiled, "What's your next class? I could probably help."

"Uh, Trig."

"My friend Jess is in that class. I'll walk you there."

I stood up, and walked out next to Mike to my next class. As soon as we got there, I saw why he had wanted to show me the building. There was a girl there that he immediately started talking to. I think he forgot about me, because he turned away as he talked to her and made no move to introduce me. I smiled and took my slip to the teacher. The girl Mike was talking to was staring at me, and it made me uncomfortable. When the teacher signed my slip, he told me to stay and introduce myself. I groaned inwardly, but did what I was told. I stumbled over my words, and when I walked to my seat, I tripped. It was humiliating.

I sat through the class, and when the bell rang, the girl came over to me. "Hey. I'm Jessica. What's your name?"

I cleared my throat, "Edward."

She smiled, "Well it's really nice to meet you Edward."

"Um, you too." I smiled weakly at her, and she beamed back. She walked me to my next class, which she was in also. We were also in the same lunch. Mike caught up with us as we walked to lunch, and we stood in the line together. We sat down at a crowded table, where Mike was nice enough to introduce me, but I forgot everyone's name as soon as he said it. I smiled and nodded a lot. I only really talked when someone asked me a question. I looked around the cafeteria during a lull in the conversation and notice a group of extraordinarily beautiful people sitting at a table across the room from us.

There were five of them, three girls and two boys. One of the boys was big-muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. The other was taller, leaner, but still muscular, with honey blond hair. The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you see on the cover of the _Sports Illustrated _swimsuit edition. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The second girl had long brown hair that flowed all the way down her back. Her hair was swept over her shoulder, obscuring most of her face. The third girl was short and pixie-like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

They all looked so different, but so similar. Their eyes were all dark, despite the range in hair tones. They also looked like they could use a good night's sleep, because there were circles under their eyes. Their features were all straight, perfect, angular. They were the most beautiful people I had ever seen. They looked like the airbrushed models on the cover of a magazine. Or like they were painted by a master as the faces of angels.

I tore my eyes away from them and leaned over to Mike, "Who are those people over there?" I asked.

Mike glanced over, "The dark haired ones are the Cullens. The big one is Emmett, the short-haired one is Alice, and the brown haired one is Bella." At the sound of her name, the third one, Bella, glanced over as if she could hear us. She glanced at Mike for half a second, until her eyes locked with mine for a moment. Then she looked away as if nothing had happened. Mike continued, "The blonde ones are the Hales. The girl is Rosalie, and the boy is Jasper."

I looked at them for another moment, "Are they related?"

Mike shook his head, "No. Dr. Carlisle Cullen and his wife Esme adopted the lot of them. The Hales are twins, and I guess they were adopted when they were older. The others were adopted earlier, I think."

"Huh."

"They're all _taken_ though. Rosalie and Emmett are together, and Jasper and Alice. And apparently, Bella's above everyone. She's never dated."

I smiled a little. Mike sounded like he had been rejected.

Jessica butted in, "It's pretty weird. They live together, and they _are_ together. . ."

It did seem a little strange. But who was I to judge?

Mike and Jessica changed the topic, but I continued looking at the family. I was trying to decide who was the most perfect of the group. I decided that it was either the brown haired Bella, or the blonde Rosalie. Bella suddenly looked over at my table again. She had an odd expression on her face, like she was waiting for something. When she noticed me looking back at her, she turned her head. Her expression was confused. I looked away then, because Mike was asking me a question. I snuck glances at the table every few minutes, and I saw Bella's mouth moving, and she seemed to be speaking to her siblings, but none of them were looking at her, and she wasn't looking at them.

I didn't even noticed when lunch was over until Mike dragged me to my feet saying, "Don't bother, man. It's not gonna happen."

"What?"

"The Cullens. Don't bother. It won't do any good." His voice still sounded bitter.

We separated when we got outside, Mike went left, and I went right. I was heading toward Biology, a class I was dreading because I had already taken it. This was sure to be a dull class this year.

I reached the door and stepped inside, stumbling slightly on the doorframe. I brought my slip up to the teacher. While he was signing it, I looked around the room for a place to sit. Most of the class was full. My eyes ranged the room until I saw the one open seat. Next to Bella Cullen. I met her eyes for a moment before dropping my gaze and sticking my hands into my pockets. I withdrew one to grab the now-signed slip, and then tucked both back into my pocket. I walked slowly to my new seat and i dropped down into the chair. I glanced again at Bella, and my breath stopped. She was glaring at me with the coldest, plainest, most _hate-filled_ glare I had ever seen. I felt my eyes widen as I met her black, angry ones. She scooted her chair away from me, the the extreme edge of the lab table. Her hand gripped the edge. I looked away quickly, putting my right hand on my face to block my view of her.

The hour passed more slowly then I could have dreamed was possible. I could feel the cold glare from my lab partner. I was absolutely bewildered. What did I ever do to her? Finally, the bell rang. The second the buzzing sound rang through the speakers, Bella was out of her seat. She rushed to the door, and was gone. I stared after her, and I'm sure confusion was written all over my face. I just didn't get it.

Suddenly, Jessica walked over to me. Oh. I hadn't even noticed she was in this class. "Hey, Edward. So, what's up with Bella Cullen? Did you hit on her or something?"

I shook my head, "No. I don't know what that was."

Jessica looked relieved, "Well, she's not worth it anyway. There's plenty of single girls around here."

I just looked at her. "Oh." I watched as her face dropped the slightest bit.

"Um, so what's your next class?"

I glanced at my schedule, "Ugh. P.E."

Jessica's face brightened, "Me too! Oh my gosh, two classes in a row!"

"Yep."

"Well, come on then, let's go."

We walked out the door. Jessica led us to the gym, and I sighed loudly. I hated sports. I figured I was supposed to like them, but I didn't have the coordination. I preferred music. I was a good piano player, and I hated to leave my keyboard behind. I was going to have to get something here. Maybe since I didn't have to pay for a car I could-

"Edward!"

"What?"

"We're playing volleyball today. Wanna be on my team?" Jessica's voice sounded excited. Mine did not.

"Um, sure. I'm no good at sports though."

"That's OK. I'm pretty good." The coach blew his whistle, and my torture began.

It was probably the worst I've ever done in a sport, which was saying something, because I never did _well._ I didn't really understand the rules, and whenever the ball came near me, it tended to hit me or someone near me on the head. My face was burning by the end of class. I changed as soon as class was over and met Jessica outside the changing rooms.

"You weren't so bad," she told me. I could tell she was lying.

"I was and you know it." I paused, trying to think of a tactful way to bring up the subject that was plaguing my mind. When tactful ideas failed, I just blurted out, "So. . . the Cullens. . ."

"Yeah, I don't know what was with Bella. That was so _weird_. She doesn't usually, you know, interact with anyone but her family." Her voice sounded off, but I couldn't identify the tone.

"Oh, good." I said sarcastically, "She decided to hate me."

This time, her voice sounded relieved, "Guess so."

We split there, because I had to go to the office to turn in my slip. office to turn in my slip. Bella Cullen was there. She was talking to an office man in a low, attractive voice, "-any other time."

The man shook his head, "I'm sorry honey, no other Biology classes are open."

"How about Physics? Chemistry?"

"All full. I'm sorry, I wish I could help. . ." He trailed off.

I stood frozen in the doorway, unsure whether to approach the other person working in the office, the one who had given me my schedule and map. I didn't really want to get tat close to Bella. As I stood there, a girl walked in, placed a note in the wire basket, and left. The cold air whirled into the warm office, chilling me.

Bella's back stiffened, and she turned slowly to glare at me, "Never mind then, I can see it's not possible." She said the words in a rush, and then she stormed out of the room.

**OK, I want you all to know that I am aware that I messed with the order of things. I don't want to make this story **_**exactly**_** like Twilight. I want to add, subtract, or change some things. Please review! I want to know your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the awesome reviews! I know that chapter one has a lot of Twilight in it, trust me, I'll start to veer soon. I just have so set stuff up. I forgot to say in the first chapter that this is a disclaimer. I don't own Twilight. The magic belongs solely to the amazing Miss Meyer. And unless she randomly decides to give me the rights, I never will own Twilight :'( Anyway, here's chapter two! Enjoy!**

Chapter Two

The next day was better. I could name some of the people who had sat at my lunch table the previous day. Jessica, Mike, Ben, Angela, Lauren, and Tyler. My day was also worse, because I was tired, and when I was in Trig, I got called on when my hand was not raised and I had the wrong answer. Also, Bella Cullen was not there. I knew this should relieve me after that look she gave me yesterday, but I couldn't find it in me to be relieved. I was actually really disappointed. I had thought of confronting her and demanding to know about her strange behavior the previous day, but I knew I would never have the guts to do it. I wouldn't ever really confront anyone. No, what I really hoped for was some kind of insight to her behavior. I wanted to talk to her. And that was very, very stupid. I should have no reason to be anything but wary of this girl, maybe even afraid. Instead, I was curious. I drifted through the day in a haze, and I'm sure Jessica and Mike thought I was nuts. Maybe I was. In Biology, I had to sit at my empty lab table, where I could fell the stares of my classmates on me the whole day.

I finally made it through the school day, and afterward I went to the grocery store, where I could escape for a little while. The store was even big enough that I couldn't hear the rain pounding on the roof.

When I got home, I began making dinner. Once I got everything in the oven I headed upstairs to do my homework while everything cooked. It was a restful afternoon, and I timed dinner perfectly. Edward Sr. walked through the door just as I was taking the steak out of the oven. He sniffed the air, and a grin appeared on his face, "Something smells good. What's for dinner?"

I grinned, "Steak and potatoes."

Dad's grin grew a little bigger, "Perfect."

Silence took over the kitchen, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Dad and I didn't talk much, so when we were together the conversations tended to be short and to the point. I don't think he minded, and I know I didn't. After dinner, I washed the dishes and he shuffled into the living room to watch a game that was on TV. When I was younger, my dad tried to get me to watch sports with him, but it never succeeded. He gave up eventually, around the time I stopped coming to Forks in the summers. I hated Forks so much I insisted on vacationing in California for two weeks instead of visiting him here in Forks. And now I lived here. I shook my head a little as I headed up to my room, thinking about my move here. It was a little better than I had originally expected, mostly due to the fact that I had a truck so I didn't have to ride in the cruiser, and also to my new friends at school.

Just as I reached my room, the doorbell rang downstairs. I sighed and jogged down the stairs to get it. I fell on the last step, and I caught myself with my arm and continued on. I opened the door, and there stood Harry Clearwater. I remembered only then that he and Leah were coming over to tell me about my truck.

"Hi Harry," I said awkwardly, "Do you want to come in?"

"That's OK, Edward. We're just stopping by."

"Harry!" My dad's voice came from behind me, and I stepped back to let him embrace his friend.

"Hey, Edward. Leah and I are here to tell your boy all the ins and outs of the old truck."

Dad nodded, and we all headed out into the drizzling rain. Leah Clearwater stood out there by my truck, looking it over.

I cleared my throat, "Hey Leah."

She glanced up at me, "Hi. So there's a dent in the back tire guard here. It shouldn't give you any problems, but I thought you might want to know. When you drive it, don't go over sixty, it'll kill the engine. Um. . . the radio still works I think."

"Yeah, it does. Found that out this morning."

Leah glanced at me and laughed, "We took good care of it. The thing still runs great, radio included."

I nodded, smiling, "So how come you guys decided to sell it?"

"Well, Dad's not really driving anymore, he just hangs out on the rez, and it goes way to slow for my taste," she grinned, "I'm building a car now that Dad's sold the truck. He wouldn't let me build one 'til we sold it, so I'm glad your dad took it off of our hands."

"When did you start building cars?"

"About a year or two after you stopped coming in the summers. I was sixteen, and sick of all the drama and backstabbing that came with being a popular girly girl. So I kinda backed off, stopped hanging out with my 'friends' as often, not really going out. Then, one day, my cousin Emily's car broke down. She called me and I headed over there to see if I could help. I managed to fix it, there was a wire unplugged, and I've been into cars ever since."

I looked at her for a second, then I laughed a little, "No offense, but you're the last person I would have ever expected to be into cars."

She smiled at me and patted my truck, "I never saw it coming either, trust me."

"So, how'd you get here if you don't have a car?"

Leah gestured over her shoulder to a black SUV on the street, "Borrowed it from some friends."

"Oh, OK. That makes a little more sense."

Silence fell over us for a second, then we moved on to talking some more about my truck. When Leah and Harry left, I found that I'd really enjoyed talking with Leah. I smiled a little as I walked inside to start my homework for the day.

The rest of the week at school continued to improve, and at the same time it got worse. I was in the strangest tandem week-wise. It was better in the way that I felt more and more comfortable at school. I could give names, and answer questions. I began to feel like I was treading water instead of drowning. My week was worse because Bella Cullen never came back to school, and I was afraid it was all my fault. It didn't make sense for her absence to be of my own doing. I was egotistical and pompous to think it, but I couldn't help but wonder if it really was my fault. Bella's flat, glaring black eyes seemed to be burned into my memory, as well as her quick exit after Biology. I tried to push the instance from my mind, but I couldn't do it. So I contented myself with distractions. I talked to Mike a lot, and Jessica less often, but often enough that we were friends. I made more complicated meals for Dad, and I did all of my homework the day I got it. By keeping busy, I didn't focus as often on Bella's apparent hatred for me.

When Friday came around, I was confident walking into class that she wouldn't be there. I sat again at my empty lab table, and tried to convince myself that I was relieved that I was alone at my table. It didn't work. I couldn't help but to feel that Bella's continued absence was my fault.

The weekend passed quickly, mostly because I had a ton of homework that I had to get done. Dad spent most of his weekend fishing, and he came home with a big load of fish for me to cook. I looked up a bunch of fish recipes in my grandma's old cookbook, and that was our meals for the weekend. It was nice and restful, just what I needed after my first week at Forks High. On Monday, I woke up refreshed. I was getting used to falling asleep with the constant _whoosh_ of the rain. I was in a good mood, and Dad picked up on it right away as I bounded down the stairs.

"Someone's in a good mood today."

I shrugged, "Kinda. I'm a little excited to see my friends."

"Who?"

"Mike Newton, Jessica Stanley, Angela Weber, Ben Cheney. . ."

"They're a good bunch of kids."

I shook my head a little bit. Of course he knew everyone in town, "Yeah, they are. I better get going though or I'll be late."

Dad gestured toward the door, "I'll see you at dinner then."

"Yep, see you then." I walked briskly through the rain and got into my truck. I immediately turned on my truck's heater, reveling in the warmth it presented. I drove to school in high spirits, and when I saw the shiny silver Volvo in the parking lot, I didn't even flinch. The car had been at school every day Bella had not been, so I felt reasonably comfortable with the fact that she would not be here today. I was slightly relieved, but mostly disappointed.

I pulled into a parking space and headed to my first hour. I got there a little early, so I started talking to Mike.

"So, do you like Jessica?"

Mike looked down, "Yeah. But I can't hold a candle to you, so I guess you can. . . you know, ask her out."

I laughed, and he looked at me with a surprised expression on his face. "Mike I do not want to _date_ Jessica. No way. I was just curious."

Mike's face lit up, "Seriously?"

I nodded, "Seriously."

"Well, that's really good then. I might ask her to homecoming. It's in three weeks you know."

"Really? That'll be fun."

"You should come. And if you don't get a date, all the girls would dance with you. Not like getting a date would be _hard_ for you."

"Why do you keep saying that? That I could get a date so easily, and that 'you can't hold a candle to me.'"

"Well, because every girl in this school wants to fell in love with you. You're new, and you're good-looking." He shrugged, "That's why."

"I don't even-"

The teacher walked in then and called that class to order, and so my conversation with Mike was soon forgotten. By the time the bell rang and we got to second hour, Mike was having a complete panic attack.

"She's gonna say no. I know she's gonna say no."

Mike, chill. She won't say no."

"You don't know that."

"Nor do you. Just go."

We walked to the entrance of the classroom, and I slipped inside, waving to Jessica and saying a small 'hi'. Then I let Mike do his thing. I watched the whole time, and just before Mike left, I saw his face fall a little bit. _Oh, no. She said no. _Why_ did she say no?_

After class, Jessica sauntered up to me, "Hey Edward."

"Hey Jessica."

"So. . . what are you doing for homecoming?"

"Me? Oh, I'm not going. I'm going to Olympia to look for a piano that day."

"Are you sure? I mean, you could, you know, ask someone and go with a group."

"Sorry, Jessica. I've been planning this for a while, and I can't change it." I lied through my teeth and hoped my voice didn't sound off. I was a terrible liar, but I was banking on the fact that Jessica didn't know me very well yet. It worked.

"Oh, OK. Well then, Mike asked me."

I feigned surprise, "Did he? That'll be fun for you guys!" I put as much enthusiasm into the comment as I could, for Mike's sake.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"It will be. Now let's go to linch, I'm starving."

When Jessica and I walked into lunch, she walked straight over to MIke, and when she spoke to him, his face lit up like a Christmas tree. Clearly, she'd told him yes. My eyes wandered over to the Cullen/ Hale table quickly, glancing, checking. What I saw made me freeze, There were five people sitting there. Bella Cullen was back.

**OK guys, I'm so excited right now! I got FIVE reviews in less than twenty-four hours! Thank you so much! Just so you know, updates will not usually be this fast. I'm just really excited about this story, and had about half of chapter two done already when I published Chapter One. Review please!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! I'm so so sorry for taking so long! I had a ton of stuff going recently, and I've had NO time to write. I apologize. SO, all you awesome people who reviewed, thank you. For those who did not review, thank you for reading, and I would LOVE if you did review. I accept anonymous. OK, that's it! Thanks! Enjoy! **

**DISCLAIMER! As much as I wish I owned Twilight, I don't :P **

Chapter Three

I looked at the table with a mixture of horror and fascination. She was back, so that means I didn't drive her away permanently. I walked quickly over to my table, where Jessica and MIke were waiting. I forced myself to keep my eyes away from the Cullen table, and I was almost successful. I only slipped once, and when I glanced over, no one was looking at me. I reached my table and plopped down into the nearest chair.

Mike scooted his chair away form Jessica reluctantly and whispered to me, "Edward! Jessica said yes! I'm taking her to the dance!"

"That's great Mike!" I whispered back. I smiled as genuinely as I could.

Mike must have seen something in my expression, because he looked worried when he asked, "You- You're OK with this, right? You don't mind that I asked her?"

"What? No, of course not! I told you, I don't like her that way."

"OK. . . good." Mike smiled, and I felt confident I had done away with his ridiculous fear of me being into Jessica.

My eyes shifted again to the table across the room. I gave a small gasp when I saw Bella looking at me. Her expression was not hostile, like I had expected. Her face seemed curious. . . and different from before. I couldn't pinpoint the difference. Maybe her face simply looked friendlier, rather than the hate-filled looks I was so afraid of.

"Hey, Edward! Did you hear what I just said?"

I looked up, startled out of my reverie. I saw Jessica looking at me expectantly. "Oh, um, no sorry. What?"

Jessica tossed her hair back, "I asked what you were going to Olympia for."

"A piano." I smiled a little, "My dad doesn't have one, and I like to play. Now that I don't have to buy a car. . ."

"You play piano?" Jessica blinked at me, and Mike's face was torn between angry and hurt. I had to change the subject quickly.

"Kind of. I'm not good." I lied, "Sort of a hobby."

"Well _that's_ cool still." Jessica pouted.

I frowned, "Not really. Anyway, Mike, what are you up to this weekend?"

Mike's face looked grateful, "Well. . . "

As MIke talked, I zoned out and glanced again at the Cullen table. As I looked, the blonde boy, Jasper, got up and left the cafeteria. I was puzzled when I saw his still full lunch tray, but then I was distracted by the gaze I felt boring into me from the table Jasper had just vacated. I reluctantly turned my head a fraction to glance once more at Bella.

I was expecting the wrathful gaze of before, but it was still absent. When I met Bella's eyes, She glanced quickly away, said something to her slight sister, and swept out of the room. Her grace was unparalleled as she glided across the room. I watched her until she disappeared through the doors.

"Dude, I'm telling you, drop it. You saw what hitting on her did last time."

"Mike, I didn't hit on her! I didn't even talk to her. And I'm not pursuing her either."

Mike looked at me with a somber expression, "I think you are. You should see the way you are looking at her."

"Looking at her how? Seriously, I'm just glad she's not glaring at me anymore." I defended myself.

Mike sighed, "Whatever you say."

The bell rang then, which was nice. I didn't really want to go any deeper into this with Mike. I was confused enough already with Bella's mood swings. I headed out of the cafeteria, and hunched my shoulders against the cold rain. I got to my Biology door, and I stopped short. Bella was in this class. How could I forget? I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, trying my hardest to swallow my fear.

I walked into the classroom with my head down. I hung up my jacket and walked slowly to my lab table. I stubbornly refused to look at my lab partner. I didn't allow myself even a glance. I kept my eyes focused on Mr. Banner, who was talking about a lab we were doing today. Wait, a lab? No! That means I have to work with Bella. My stomach dropped. Mr. Banner started walking around the room, handing out microscopes and slides. He explained the lab as he went, telling us that we were supposed to arrange the slides, which were out of order, into the correct order of mitosis. I'd done this lab before, so hopefully, I could do it quickly. Mr. Banner handed out the supplies to our table, placing them in front of Bella. I glanced at her quickly, and when she didn't reach for the microscope or slides, i slid my hand quickly across the table and snagged them. I loaded the first slide quickly, and took a took in the microscope.

"Um, hello," said a melodious voice, "I'm Bella Cullen. It's Edward, right?"

When she spoke, I jumped so bad that I jammed my eye into the eyepiece of the microscope, I raised my head quickly, rubbing my smarting eye, "Yeah, Edward Masen."

Bella looked away awkwardly, and I turned my attention back to the slide. I got a good look this time, and identified it as anaphase. As I was about to unload the slide in preparation for the next one, Bella spoke again, "Mind if I look?"

"Um, no. Go ahead."

Bella looked at the slide for a shorter period of time than I had thought possible, but when she pulled away, she wrote 'anaphase' on the sheet in perfect flowing handwriting. "Do you want me to do the next one?" She asked my politely.

"Sure, if you want to."

Bella smiled and her perfect, white teeth flashed, "I want to. So, are you going to the homecoming?"

I snorted, "No way, I don't dance. Besides, I'm going to Olympia that weekend. You?"

"No, I'm not going. Why are you going to Olympia?"

I didn't really want to tell this strange girl why I was avoiding the dance, but I figured I'd do it anyway. What did I have to lose? "I'm going to buy a piano. I was saving up for a car, but my dad got one for me, so I can spend my money on a nice piano. Plus, I don't really have any interest in the dance." Why did I have to ramble?

"You play piano? That's cool. I never had the inclination to start."

This conversation sounded strangely like the one I'd had with Jessica, but Bella didn't like me, in fact, she might hate me. "Yeah, it's not easy. But I really like it."

Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and I was slightly grateful because no matter how nice Bella had been to me, she still confused me, and I wasn't sure what to expect next.

The rest of my day flew by until I found myself in the kitchen preparing to make chicken enchiladas for my Dad and I. The process was long, and it took my mind off of my bizarre conversation with Bella that afternoon.

When Dad walked in, his face was confused. "What's that smell?" He asked as he unloaded his gun and took off his shoes and jacket.

"Enchiladas. You'll like them, promise."

He looked at me for a second, then shrugged and went to sit at the table, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Nah, I've got it all set. Thanks though."

We sat down, and Dad tried a bite. I could tell immediately that he liked it, because he made that happy Dad face that I remember from my childhood. The stress line around his mouth and on his forehead disappeared, and a small smile appeared on his lips. I laughed, and we finished dinner in a comfortable silence. After dinner, I did the dishes, then went up to my room to e-mail my mom. I wrote to her about all of my new friends, but I didn't mention Bella. I figured I'd keep _that_ mystery to myself until I knew whether Bella hated me or not. After that, I was tired enough to sleep, so I put my iPod on shuffle and lay down. The first song that came on was The River Flows in You by Yiruma. It was a beautiful piano piece that had been the first classical piece I had learned. It was still my favorite. I fell asleep quickly with the piano drifting softly in my ears.


End file.
